The KOHS pledges to help spread the message that distracted drivers are a danger not only to themselves, but to everyone on the road. According to NHTSA, in 2009 alone, nearly 5,500 people were killed and a half million more individuals were injured in distracted driving crashes. That same year, 20% of injury-related crashes involved reports of distracted driving.

While anything that takes your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the task of driving is a hazard, there is heightened concern about the risks of texting while driving because it combines all three types of distraction – visual, manual and cognitive, KOHS said in a report by WOWK News, a CBS affiliate.

The national distracted driving effort focuses on ways to change the behavior of drivers through legislation, enforcement, public awareness and education.